Introduction to Texas

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Introduction to Texas
By Loren Miller
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Political Culture A peoples shared framework
of values, beliefs, and habits of behavior
related to government and politics. It refers to
how we view the -- relationship between the
government and the people -- rights and
responsibilities of the people -- obligations of
government -- limits on government authority
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Political Culture American political culture is
a mix of three distinct subcultures --
moralistic -- individualistic --
traditionalistic The political culture of a
state can change over time and a state as large
and diverse as Texas may contain different
cultures in different areas of the state. How
do Texans feel about government and politics?
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Moralistic Political Subculture Rooted in
Puritan New England. Concerned with right and
wrong in politics. Politics revolves around
issues and politicians run for office to advance
issues. Belief that government can be a
positive force one that values the individual
but functions for the benefit of the general
public.
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Moralistic Political Subculture Citizen
participation is encouraged and politicians
should not profit from their public service. --
corruption is not tolerated because government
service is seen as public service. Bureaucracy
is viewed favorably as a way to achieve public
good. Does this sound like Texas?
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Individualistic Political Subculture Rooted in
the Middle Atlantic states and in the southern
part of the Midwest. The primary objective of
government should be to further private
enterprise, while intervention into peoples
lives should be limited (rugged
self-reliance). Does this sound like
Texas? Whats good for the business community
is good for Texas.
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Individualistic Political Subculture Government
s role is to ensure stability so that
individuals can pursue their own
interests. Business and politics are appropriate
avenues by which an individual can advance
their interests. -- conflicts of interest are
commonplace. -- a degree of political corruption
is viewed as inevitable. -- bureaucracy is
viewed negatively as it hinders patronage.
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Individualistic Political Subculture Politician
s motives for running for office are based on
material self-interests and to advance
themselves professionally. Elections are
oriented toward gaining office and do not deal
with issues. Politics is a matter for
professionals rather than for everyone. --
Government should not get in the way
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Traditionalistic Political Subculture Predominan
t in the southern states and rooted in their
plantation culture and the patron system
of northern Mexico. Government has an active
role, but it primarily serves to maintain
dominant social and religious values (maintain
the status quo). Government is also expected to
support traditional class distinctions and to
encourage the beliefs of the dominant religion.
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Traditionalistic Political Subculture Politics
is the special preserve of the social
and economic elite. Participation in politics is
a privilege -- social pressure and restrictive
election laws that limit participation are
legitimate. -- Texas was one of the last states
to eliminate the poll tax and the
white primary and recently enacted a
restrictive voter ID law.
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Traditionalistic Political Subculture This
subculture supports personal rather than public
solutions to problems and makes it easy to ignore
human needs. -- Texas ranks at or near the top
in dubious social policy areas such as high
school dropout rates, incidence of teen
pregnancy, and number of children living in
poverty. -- These data mirror the reluctance of
Texans to accept change of almost any kind. --
One of the last states to introduce legalized
gambling and abolish the blue laws.
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Political Culture
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Texas Political Culture No single unified Texas
political culture has emerged. Texas has a mix
of traditionalistic and individualistic
subcultures. -- traditionalistic overrides
the individualistic in East Texas which was
initially settled from the upper South
and from the Mexican border area. --
individualistic overrides the traditionalistic
in the rest of the state
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Texas Political Culture The traditionalistic
aspect of state politics are exemplified by --
the long history of one-party dominance in
state politics -- the low level of voter
turnout -- social and economic conservatism The
individualistic aspect of state politics
are exemplified by -- support for private
business -- opposition to big government --
faith in individual initiative
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• Texas Political Culture
• Factors accounting for the diversity of cultures
  include
• Migration Patterns Texas has always been a
  diverse society and many groups have not been
  assimilated
• -- German Hill Country
• -- Rio Grande Valley

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Texas Political Culture 2) Legacy of Political
Independence an independent nation confident
of own abilities pride in the state --
Conservative self-reliant opposed to outside
help 3) Influence of the Old South
particularly in East Texas -- Southern
fundamentalism conservative Bible Belt race
as an issue friendliness and hospitality
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Texas Political Culture 4) Influence of the
Frontier isolation economic distress physical
hardship -- self-reliance dont rely on
government Judge Roy Bean -- attachment to
boots, guns, horses and beer (horse stealing v.
wife killing) 5) Religious Fundamentalism --
moral legislation blue laws and
prohibition -- belief in hard work and
self-help and opposition to labor unions
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Political Socialization Political socialization
reflect some of the values of a political
culture. The people and institutions that are
responsible for teaching us the dominant values
of the society in which we are raised are agents
of socialization.
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Political Socialization Home Life We begin
to pick up social and political attitudes at an
early age. Children tend to pick up their
parents views with relatively little
questioning. Those crooks in Congress The
liberal media As we mature we expand our
circle of influencers.
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Political Socialization Grade School Public
schools are conservative in that their job is to
conserve and reproduce the dominant values in
society. Good citizenship Patriotism Permi
ssible forms of political participation
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Political Socialization Higher Education We
begin to be exposed to conflicting and
controversial views.
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Political Socialization Religion How does
religion impact socialization?
Registered Voters
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Political Ideology A political ideology is a
consistent set of values and beliefs about the
proper purpose and scope of government Are
people consistent in their political
ideology? -- no people can be liberal in some
areas and conservative in others -- e.g.,
liberal in domestic affairs and conservative
in international politics
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Liberalism Principles of Liberalism -- a
broad political principle centered on the rights
of the individual -- belief in government
action to achieve equal opportunity and
equality for all -- it is the duty of the
government to alleviate social ills and protect
civil liberties and human rights -- the role of
the government is to see that no person is in
need -- tend to be optimistic in that they
believe that society is progressively getting
better
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Liberalism If a free society cannot help the
many who are poor, it cannot save the few who
are rich. John F. Kennedy
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Liberalism in the United States
The darker the blue, the more liberal the state
2011
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Conservatism Principles of Conservatism -- a
broad political principle centered on learning
from past solutions for answers that we need
today -- want to return to traditional religious
and ethical absolutes distrust of reform or
change -- defend the status quo -- emphasis on
personal responsibility (self-reliance) --
belief that the role of government should be to
provide the freedom necessary to pursue their
own goals
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Conservatism Government is not the solution to
our problem government is the problem. Rona
ld Reagan
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Conservatism in the United States
The darker the red, the more conservative the
state
2011
Liberal/Conservative
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American Political Spectrum
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American Political Spectrum
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Texas Political Culture Voter ID laws and voter
turnout Social welfare spending (Texas is a low
tax, low service state) Prayer in school Gay
marriage Sex education Abortion
rights Subsidies for businesses Union
membership
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A Shift ??
Percentage of Texas Registered Voters Who Support
Extending Domestic Partnership Benefits to
Government/Public University Employees 2010 62.3
2013 65.7 Texas Voters Who Support
Recognizing Same Sex Marriage if Wed in Another
State 2010 48.4 2013 52.0
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A Shift ??
Texas Voters Who Support Allowing Civil Unions
for Gays and Lesbians 2010 63.1 2013 64.7 T
exas Voters Who Support allowing Gays and
Lesbians to Marry in Texas 2010 42.7 2013 47.9
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The Economy of Texas The economy of the state
has been and still is in transition --
cattle -- cotton -- timber -- oil -- high
tech
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Cattle The earliest explorers brought cattle
into Texas -- Coronado (1530s) -- cattle from
Mexico interbred with cattle brought by Anglo
settlers to produce Texas longhorns (hearty
cattle that could thrive on the open
range) Plentiful land and minimal government
interference encouraged huge cattle empires. --
King Ranch (1,300 square miles) Texas leads the
nation in cattle production (2010).
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Cattle Ranching
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Cotton Before the Spanish brought cattle into
Texas, cotton was already growing wild in the
region. The soil was fertile and rich and led to
easy cultivation. Before the Civil War cotton
production spread and during the war the sale of
cotton to European markets aided the
Confederacy. It is estimated that 50 of U.S.
cotton and 10 of the worlds cotton comes from
Texas (2012).
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Timber The Piney Woods of East Texas and the
Big Thicket was largely uninhabited until the
1800s. Following Texas independence waves of
immigrants built new communities and a
construction industry was created in which timber
was needed. The laying of track for new
railroads also brought increased demand for
timber. As the population of Texas grew so did
the impact of timber on the Texas economy.
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Timber The impact of timber on the Texas
economy declined by the 1920s. -- clear cutting
had depleted the availability of timber in many
parts of East Texas The discovery of oil in the
region required the elimination of more
timber. By 2000, Texas was the nations 10th
largest timber producer. Draught and fires in
2011 and 2012 resulted in the loss of many acres
of trees.
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Oil Long before Europeans arrived, Native
Americans used oil seeping from the Texas soil
for medicinal purposes. By the late 19th century
many barrels of oil had been produced from
crudely dug wells in different area of the
state. In 1901, Spindletop ushered in the
industry that dominated the states economy for
the next century.
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Oil
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Oil During the next 50 years Texas evolved
from a primarily agricultural culture into an
industrial society. Oil brought industrial
employment on a large scale to rural Texas and
offered rural Texans an alternative to life down
on the farm or ranch. -- oil spawned huge
processing industries including pipelines and
refineries
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Oil Texas oil production is on the rise. New
production is coming from shale formations --
Eagle Ford shale formation running from South
Texas near Laredo to East Texas. Production is
also rising in the Permian Basin fields of West
Texas -- impact of hydraulic fracturing
techniques
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Texas Oil Production (Millions of Barrels)
Oil production has risen 60 since 2007 (2013)
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The Economy of Texas Having an economy built
on agriculture and oil had a major impact on the
states development. In the 19th century,
Texass economic health depended on the prices of
cotton and cattle. For much of the 20th century,
the states economy rose and fell in line with
oil prices. Because commodity prices tend to
fluctuate, Texass economic history was one of
booms and busts.
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The Economy of Texas The nature of the states
economy has contributed to a relatively lopsided
distribution of income. -- even though Texas
has been a rich state, most Texans have not been
wealthy -- agricultural workers and oil
roughnecks were poorly organized and poorly
paid
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1940s World War II is the point of departure
for change in Texas -- change from rural to
urban Why do people come to Texas? --
Jobs Why would industries move to Texas? --
cheap labor (weak labor unions) -- energy
resources -- favorable tax rate -- local
encouragements -- cheap land -- favorable
regulatory climate (weak pollution laws, etc.)
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1980s The 1980s were an economic disaster for
Texas. -- the oil industry collapsed -- oil
went as low as 10/barrel -- there were severe
cuts in defense spending -- the Cold War
ended
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1990s By the end of the 20th century the
states economy had picked up. -- the fastest
growing segment was the service sector --
lower paying jobs -- Mississippi and Texas
have the largest number of minimum wage
workers in the nation (9.5 in 2010) In
addition, a booming entertainment industry, an
increasingly important film community, as well as
expanding tourism contributed to this trend.
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The 21st Century The first decade of the new
century did not begin well for Texas or for the
United States economy. -- terrorist attacks --
corporate misdeeds (Enron) -- stock market
collapse -- subprime mortgage crisis In Texas
there was a push towards deregulation (fewer
government regulations) which has had mixed
results.
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The 21st Century The most rapidly growing
segment of the states economy involve healthcare
and high-technology industries. --
telecommunications and robotics High-tech
companies employ larger percentages of
professional, technical, and managerial
personnel. -- wages and salaries are nearly
twice as much as the average for other
private- sector positions.
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The 21st Century The key to future economic
growth in Texas will lie in developing an
educational infrastructure that can meet the
demands of an evolving 21st century economy.
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Texas Misconceptions?? We ride horses to school
. . . . If we dont ride horses to school, we
drive pick-up trucks with gun racks on the back .
. . . Texas is a rural state. All the women
look like Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. We mangle
the language (e.g., George Bush). Were all dumb
(e.g., Rick Perry) Were rude and crude (e.g.,
Lyndon Johnson) Were all rich!
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LBJ
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Texas Misconceptions
2010
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Texas MisconceptionsWe are all Wealthy?

• Wealthiest States
• Maryland 71,100
• New Jersey 69,700
• Alaska 67,700
• Connecticut 67,300
• Hawaii 66,300
• Massachusetts 65,300
• New Hampshire 63,300
• Virginia 61,700
• Minnesota 58,900
• Delaware 58,400

• Poorest States
• Mississippi 37,000
• Arkansas 41,100
• W. Virginia 40,200
• Alabama 41,600
• Kentucky 41,700
• New Mexico 42,600
• Tennessee 42,800
• Louisiana 42,900
• South Carolina 43,100
• Oklahoma 44,300

Texas 50,700
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Texas Misconceptions Poverty Rate for 10 Poorest
States
Mississippi 24.2 New
Mexico 20.8 Louisiana 19.9 Arkansas
19.8 Kentucky 19.4 Georgia 19.2 Alabam
a 19.0 Arizona 18.7 South
Carolina 18.3 Texas 17.9
2012
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Texas Misconceptions Poverty Rate for U.S. by Race
2012
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The Rich Get Richer and The Poor Get Poorer in
Texas
Tax Filers earning at least 116,500
Tax Filers earning at least 414,000
2011
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Whats This Mean?
The top 10 percent accounted for almost half of
state income in 2011. (48.0)
The top 1 percent brought in the largest share
of state income in at least a century. (20.8)
Income inequality is increasing and this is
seen as a threat to the middle class and the
economy.
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Texas Misconceptions Poverty Rate for 10 Poorest
Counties
Cameron, TX 34.7 Hidalgo,
TX 34.3 El Paso, TX 28.7 Bronx,
NY 27.1 Philadelphia, PA 23.8 Tulare,
CA 23.7 Caddo Parish, LA 23.5 St. Louis,
MO 22.4 Kings, NY 21.9 Mobile,
AL 21.1
2010
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The People of Texas 95 of the people lived in
rural areas in 1850. 85 of the people live in
urban areas today. -- three of the ten most
populated cities in the United States are in
Texas. -- today many rural areas are
experiencing rapid population growth due to the
resurgence in oil and natural gas production.
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Urban Texas

• 17
• 1910 24
• 1920 32
• 1930 41
• 1940 45
• 1950 63
• 1960 75
• 1970 80
• 1980 80
• 1990 80
• 2000 83
• 2010 85

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Geography
Projected Population Growth from the year 2000 by
Metropolitan Area
lt 25 26 45 46 65 66 85 86
2020
2040
SOURCES Texas State Data Center Office of State
Demographer.
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Growth Since 2010
Texas 1.203m 5.18 Greatest
Increases DFW and Northern Suburbs Houston
(Montgomery and Fort Bend Co.) Rio Grande
Valley Austin San Antonio El Paso Greatest
Declines Almost 100 counties in Panhandle
and East Texas lost population
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The People of Texas Micropolitan Statistical
Area -- urban cluster with a population between
10K and 49K -- 581 in U.S. 42 in Texas
(Huntsville) Metropolitan Statistical Area --
freestanding urban area with a total population
of at least 50K -- 374 in U.S. 44 in Texas
(Amarillo)
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The People of Texas Combined Statistical
Area -- two or more adjacent statistical
areas -- 128 in U.S. 9 in Texas (Midland-Odes
sa) Metropolitan Division -- county or group
of counties within a core based statistical are
that contains a population of at least 2.5
million -- 29 in U.S. 2 in Texas (Dallas-Ft.
Worth-Arlington)
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The People of Texas Cities are eager to obtain
the highest possible statistical designation
because many congressional appropriations are
based on this designation. -- e.g., to qualify
for mass transit funds an area must be a
Metropolitan Statistical Area Of Texas 254
counties, only 48 are metropolitan -- these
counties account for more than 80 of the votes
cast in elections
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Population Projections(in Millions)
Steve Murdock on Demographic Change in Texas
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The People of Texas Anglos (all whites
except Latinos) By the Civil War, more than
one-half of the states Anglo residents had
migrated from the Southern states. -- most
remained in the Eastern half of the state as
farmers Many German immigrants established
settlements in the Hill Country before the Civil
War.
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Anglo Population in Texas Counties, 2010
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The People of Texas Latinos Until 1836,
Texas was a part of Spain and then Mexico and
Latinos were, and still are, concentrated in
South and Central Texas. Latinos remained mostly
an agrarian people until after World War II when
increasing numbers of Latinos moved to urban
areas to work in manufacturing, sales and
clerical positions.
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The People of Texas Since the 1950s, the Texas
Latino population has been enlarged by a
relatively high birth rate and a surge of both
legal and illegal immigration from Mexico. By
the 1980s, the Latino population in Texas had
become very diverse following increased
immigrants from Central America, South America
and the islands of the Caribbean. -- however,
today more than 80 of the Latino population are
of Mexican origin.
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Hispanic Population in Texas Counties, 2010
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The People of Texas Latino political influence
is increasing -- in 2010, Texas had more than
2,300 Latino elected officials (the largest
number of any state and 40 of all Latino
elected officials in the U.S.) -- League of
United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) --
Southwest Voter Education Project
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The People of Texas African Americans The
first African Americans entered Texas as slaves
of Spanish explorers in the 16th
century. Slavery was abolished in Mexico in
1831, but a larger number of slaves were brought
to Texas from the United States. By the 1860s,
almost 25 of the population of Texas was African
American.
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The People of Texas Blacks began to congregate
in freedmantowns (communities on the outskirts
of cities) -- Black labor contributed to the
economic development of Texas cities and helped
to transform Texas from an agrarian society to
an industrialized one. Today, while the Black
population continues to grow, it is moving at a
much slower rate than other ethnic groups.
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African American Population in Texas Counties,
2010
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The People of Texas Asian Americans Asian
Americans are relative newcomers to Texas. Most
of Texass Asian American families immigrated to
the United States from Southeast Asia (Cambodia,
Laos and Vietnam) but a growing number are native
born.
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The People of Texas Most Asian Americans live
in the states largest urban centers and many
have college degrees. This is a reflection of
the intensity with which the states young Asian
Americans focus on education. -- while Asian
Americans account for less than 4 of the total
population of the state, they comprise 18 of
the undergraduate enrollment at the University
of Texas at Austin.
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A Changing Texas
Race/Ethnicity 2000 2010
Change of Pop. of
Pop 2000 2010 Anglo
10.9m 11.4m 4
52 45 Hispanic
6.7m 9.5m
42 32
38 Black
2.4m 2.9m 22
11 12 Am.
Indian 68.8k
80.5k 17
.3 .3 Asian
554k 948k
71 3
4 Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander
10.7k 17.9k 67
.1
.1 Other Races 19.9k
33.9k 70
.1 .1 Two or More Races
230k
320k 39
1 1
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A Changing Texas
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Economic and Political Issues Immigration Water
Environmental Protection (Public
Health) Education Poverty